Corby Council puts golf course out to tender

The authority has been running the 50-year-old course for the past 12 months after previous contracts Ruspro gave up the contract due to financial difficulties.

The running of the course has cost the council several tens of thousands of pounds and last night in a private session the authority’s One Corby committee decided to re-tender the contract.

A statement issued today by the council said: “The management of the golf course, club house, grounds maintenance, catering and bars, golf shop and golf tuition will be put out to tender In December for a period of 20 years starting on June 1st 2019, with a further option to extend for five years.

“In return the council is requiring an experienced golf contractor to also invest in the course.”

Priors Hall Golf Course, which covers 143 acres and is located off Stamford Road near Weldon, opened in 1965 and was designed by Fred Hawtree, one of the country’s leading golf course architects.

The 18-hole championship course is 6,677 long off the back tees with a par of 72 and in the last two years has seen 41,500 rounds of golf played on its greens.

Leader of Corby Council, Cllr Tom Beattie, said: “We hope that through the tender process Priors Hall Golf Course will continue to improve and numbers of both membership and pay as you play visitors will continue to grow.

“However if tenders received are not favourable a further report will be brought back to One Corby Policy Committee to consider options available.’

Jack Marr, treasurer of the Priors Hall Golf Club, said: “The best thing would have been for the council to keep on running it as they have done a great job but we understand why they are putting it out to tender.

“It is a popular course and we are glad that it is not going to close.”